Page 36 of Above (Darkness Reigns #1)

Nova

“ C eleste asked me why I cry in my sleep now. I lied and told her that I sometimes have nightmares about the hangings. I don’t think she’d be very happy if I told her it was actually because I dream of them all growing old and dying, their bodies washed away in waves of wasted haya.”

Watching as he walked to the center was like doing so myself. As brave and strong as Talon was, this moment would inevitably be difficult.

Would they go easier on us all today since it was our first time? I couldn’t imagine they would. Not when that would look like encouraging weakness. But how could they force him into his deepest fears right away? That had the potential to send far too many of us to an early grave.

All at once, the scene unfolded, my view of the projected illusion through the dome slightly blurry and disconcerting. Talon became surrounded by towering glowing trees and moving forms. They looked like people, though unidentifiable. That was, until Talon began to speak to them.

“Cal, wait up!” he yelled, darting forward as if to catch the person. Suddenly he stumbled, grabbing his head, shaking off the illusion.

At my back, Dofrel gasped, the nickname the other cores used for him apparently a surprise coming from Talon’s mouth.

The scene changed, now only a lone figure surrounded by elaborate furniture, the person catching Talon’s attention and holding it. Glowing arms moved in furious motions, getting closer to Talon, who backed away with his hands raised in defense.

“No, I didn’t mean that, Dove. It’s not like that.” He was pleading to who must have been his sister, now following her as she walked away. Again, he stilled, rubbing his temples and muttering something to himself. “They won’t change.”

Again and again, Talon chased and begged, each new person sending him further into a spiral that he became unable to break out of. Snickers broke out when he fell to his knees and cried out for his mother to please not leave him.

I spun, leveling the long line of trainees with a glare.

“When you all piss your pants and vomit on the floors during your illusions, it won’t simply be laughter that we hear.

It will be my slow claps and the echo of your inevitable screams. Whoever laughs next can answer to the akhata and all the horrible, wretched things I learned to do from my eadi parents. ”

Elders burst out laughing, his normally calm demeanor making way for a rare moment of humor as the line of trainees fell eerily silent. Dofrel gave me a wide smile and a wink. I didn’t bother to acknowledge them, turning back to face Talon.

He was standing once again, reaching out for a single figure.

“Supernova, come with me. Be with me,” he implored. Me? He was speaking to me? The figure—me, apparently—looked off to the left. My heart sank as a new figure walked toward me. “Nova, get away from him!” Talon screamed.

The towering figure grabbed onto mine, pulling me into their arms and away from Talon. While there was no reason for me to know who it was, I felt certain I did.

“I swear to the stars, Azazel. Let her go or I will kill you where you stand,” Talon threatened, his tears dry and his jaw tight.

Fury rippled through him in noticeable waves as he flexed, readying for a fight that would not come.

Altair’s figure gripped what had to be a knife, moving it to the throat of mine, his head tilting mockingly.

Whatever he said had Talon’s next words coming out in a sort of growl. “In your dreams you entitled prick.”

Then, surprising us all, Altair’s figure dropped the knife, spun mine around, and kissed me.

Without meaning to, I looked over my shoulder, catching that cold, grey gaze.

We mutually sat within our disgust, wishing we could unsee it but knowing it now sat there for us to have nightmares of our own about.

A singular moment of solidarity between us.

But then his appalled scowl fell, making way for a contemplative pinch of his brows as he stared me down.

That was when I faced forward again, unwilling to be perceived by him.

Talon was being guided out of the dome by a medic, her soothing coos not enough to stop him from leaping my way when he spotted me.

I sucked in air when his firm grip latched onto my upper arms, squeezing my biceps so tightly it hurt.

Amber eyes wild, he appeared to be still halfway in the illusion.

“Nova, please, you have to see that he only wants to hurt you. I’m the one who understands you.

I see you for all you are. Every day I work to guide you toward your potential.

You know that, right?” The medic grimaced behind him, Talon’s broken voice probably something she had heard before.

Maybe that was why the medics didn’t use their masks in the same way the other elites chose to.

They were there to give us the only bit of peace we would find here.

While I couldn’t be any more than an ally to Talon, I could help push him toward that peace now. “Yes, I know that. You’re the only one I trust in this place, Talon. Now please, go with the medic so she can make sure you’re well.”

The medic sighed in relief, attempting to gesture Talon away, but he shook her off, maintaining his grip on me. The pain had turned to a throb. That would bruise for sure.

“No matter what he offers you, just know it’s a lie. He will kill you the second he can, even if that means getting between your legs first. That’s why he wants you. When he watches, it’s because he’s hunting. But I love y—”

“Bravo, Talon. What a spectacular show,” came the deep and unmistakable taunting tone of Altair.

Why had he made his way to the front? Just to tease an already tormented soul?

It was foul and low, even for him. This was a fellow core.

Had he no respect for the ridiculous values they all claimed to uphold?

“Get away from my girl!” Talon shouted, shoving Altair back. Captain Zade’s face was growing redder by the moment, her urge to stop her son obvious. But it seemed they weren’t allowed to interfere, because not a single elite or captain helped us contain Talon.

“Oh, your girl, is she? Odd. I seem to remember her being in my room the other night.” Altair shook his head, smiling in a way that sharpened his features. “Sorry, let me rephrase, she was beneath me upon the floor. You remember, right Talon? You walked in on us after all.”

A chant of ooo’s began, the excitement too good to pass up.

All I knew was that I was no one’s. And I definitely would never be either of theirs.

Not to mention Altair hated me just as much as I hated him.

Which meant he was doing this to get to his only real competition in this place.

I stepped between them, facing Talon and snatching his jaw in my grasp.

I wasn’t his, but he had somehow become important to me recently.

“I need you to go with the medic, Talon. Whatever needs to be done will be finished quickly, I’m sure.

And as for me,” I put my hand up, palm forward and fingers straight, “I want nothing to do with the snake behind me. That you can and should believe. I would sooner kill him than let him anywhere near me.”

“Harsh,” Dofrel mumbled, pulling Altair back by the waist as he attempted to get between us. What was going on? Had everyone lost their minds before they even entered their illusions?

“No, no, she’s right, Cal. Why would a worthless akhata want to go anywhere near me?

I’m only the future fucking General. How dull compared to the man who cried for his mommy in front of everyone—who pretends to defend her when all he’s doing is showing up after she handled it all.

Tell me, Little Void, what do you think his end goal is? ”

I blanched, letting go of Talon and stepping back from the three cores. Stars, what the utter fuck was going on? The medic finally got a good hold of Talon, her hand cupping his mouth and glowing silver before he suddenly collapsed. I watched her drag him away, my mind spinning.

“Yes, think with that brain of yours, for once. Save him the suffering that comes with sullying himself and leave him alone. Because you know, just as we all do, that you will not survive this.” Dofrel let Altair go, allowing him to step closer, his mouth going down to my ear. “I’ll make sure you don’t.”

“Enough!” Captain Zade boomed, finally stopping the madness.

But it was too late. Everyone had seen what happened.

Somehow, my undeniable desire to be seen by everyone as equal had come to fruition, and I realized quickly that I had been wrong to want such a thing.

Altair stared at me for another split second and then turned, shoving through the line to make his way to his spot at the very back. “Next will be Nova Tershetta.”

As always, my name from her mouth sounded like a curse. As if saying it would burn her tongue. But she wasn’t my worry as I sighed and stepped forward, the elite lifting their hands and wrapping them around my head.

The way the elite tugged and pulled at my mind felt like having my intestines ripped out.

They didn’t bother to be gentle, tearing me apart as they sought out what might debilitate me.

I held back the piercing scream that bubbled and boiled in my stomach, unwilling to look weak as I was split like a book and read until my pages were worn.

However, like Talon, my knees shook violently, my arms twitching at my sides as well.

When the elite was done, they ripped their hands away, a soft hiss reverberating against their mask and making it shake.

Oh yeah, foul of eadi monster. Almost forgot.

Summoning whatever courage and strength still existed within me, I made my way to the dome, passing through it and awaiting my illusion in the center.